The manufacture of an aircraft includes designing and assembling very different parts. These parts have very different weight and stress requirements due to the particular characteristics of the structures on which they are assembled.
The tip fairing of a horizontal airfoil of the aircraft is among these parts. The tip fairing is placed at the tip of the horizontal airfoil that is farthest from the fuselage. The so-called “torsion box”, which is what withstands the loads of the horizontal airfoil, is closed by means of the fairing.
There are two types of requirements for the tip fairing of the horizontal airfoil: external and internal. Externally, the fairing must be able to be designed following the required aerodynamic profile and minimizing weight as it is a part to be assembled in aircraft structures. Internally it must assure a stiffness characteristic of the site in which it is located and it must enable attachment with the rest of the airfoil in a simple and safe manner.
All the fairings of this type manufactured today are made of metal (usually aluminum) and are made up of a series of elements, such as skin, stringers, ribs, rivets and welded attachments. A part with a known structure that is readily compatible with and connectable to the rest of the airfoil is thereby achieved.
Nevertheless, these fairings are heavy because they are manufactured from metal materials. Furthermore, their manufacture and maintenance have the complexity derived from being the result of the attachment of different elements. Precisely the fact that they are the result of the attachment of several elements is also a source of the problems relating to assembling and changing the fairing when repair is needed because the fairing is built from a number of elements with their respective tolerances and their respective attachments.
Other objects, desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent summary and detailed description, and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background.